Athleisure…but Make it Fashion
Athleisure: a new phenomenon defined by the ever-growing trend of wearing athletic clothing (once exclusively meant for the gym) in everyday life! While athleisure has been around for a couple of years, one could argue Covid-19 propelled athletic clothing to the dominant wardrobe worn by everyday Americans.
It may be the perfect solution for dressing easily for your daily activities, but I can’t help but miss the fashion element. I’ve come to learn, wearing sweats doesn’t mean we have to look like we’re sweating - let’s uplevel our athleisure! Here are the 5 ways to step up your athleisure game and make it “fashion”.
Step 1) Keep it tight
No I don’t literally mean the clothing needs to be tight-fitting in order to be fashionable. But just like I would advise any of my clients for any of their wardrobe needs, athleisure-wear should fit correctly. Your overly baggy gray sweats or your husband’s oversized t-shirt? Keep those for the couch. Reserve your best-fitting active-wear for your public athleisure outfit.
Step 2) Keep it right
That brings me to “keep it right”. I do everything in my workout clothes - cook/clean/walk my dog/workout. That’s all fine and dandy, but when it comes to making your yoga pants fashionable….make sure they are clean! Nothing says “slob” like oil stains on your pants. A critical step in making your athleisure outfit presentable is making sure it’s clean. At least we can TRY to give the illusion we haven’t just worn the same sweats doing all of those activities.
Step 3) It’s all about the shoes
What’s so great about athleisure is the ability to have a little fun! With so many brands making great sneakers these days, there are no shortage of ideas when it comes to finding the right shoes for your outfit. When looking for an athleisure shoe, I like to keep them light, airy and breathable. Think brands like Allbirds, Nike Air Max (my personal favs), Adidas Cloudfoam, or Ultraboosts.
Step 4) Outerwear for the win
The easiest step in zhuzhing up an athletic outfit is adding a casual outerwear piece. This can be achieved a couple of ways but the first is layering. A black sweatshirt does nothing to excite...but throw on a leather or jean jacket and voila - the look just got taken up a notch! If it’s warm outside, I love a light spring trench thrown over a tee and yoga pants. In the winter, adding a colorful peacoat over a neutral sweatshirt does everything to make your athletic outfit more exciting.
Step 5) Cool with Colors
Like your sneakers, athleisure allows you to step up your color game! My personal favorite fashion principle I love to apply to my athletic clothing is a monochromatic color palette. That means one color….head to toe. And that isn’t limited to black (how boring!), I recently found Fuschia yoga pants and a long-sleeve shirt in the same color. While it might seem like a lot to be head-to-toe Fuchsia….the outfit clearly is intentional and again, uplevels what could be a boring workout look. Throw on a beanie and leather jacket and BOOM! You’re ready to hit the streets with your chic and comfy look.
I don’t think athleisure is going anywhere anytime soon but that doesn’t mean we have to look like we just got out of bed! Follow these five steps and you’ll turn heads while running your errands...comfort and all! Show us your upleveled athleisure below ;)
